    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 27 (Monday, July 14, 2008)]
    [Pages 960-962]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks at an Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony
    in Charlottesville, Virginia

    July 4, 2008

        The President. Thank you, and happy Fourth of July. I am thrilled to
    be here at Monticello. I've never been here before.

    [At this point, there was an interruption in the audience.]

        The President. To my fellow citizens-to-be, we believe in free
    speech in the United States of America.
        And this is a fitting place to celebrate our Nation's independence.
    Thomas Jefferson once said he'd rather celebrate the Fourth of July than
    his own birthday. For me, it's pretty simple, the Fourth of July weekend
    is my birthday weekend.
        For some of you, today will be your first Fourth of July as American
    citizens. A few moments, you will take part in the 46th annual
    Monticello Independence Day celebration and naturalization ceremony.
    When you raise your hands and take the oath, you will complete an
    incredible journey. That journey has taken you from many different
    countries; it's now made you one people. From this day forward, the
    history of the United States will be part of your heritage; the Fourth
    of July

    [[Page 961]]

    will be part of your Independence Day; and I will be honored to call you
    a fellow American.
        I appreciate Alice Handies [Handy] *, the chairman of the Thomas
    Jefferson Foundation, and Dan Jordan, president of the Thomas Jefferson
    Foundation. I'm honored that the Governor of the great Commonwealth of
    Virginia would join us, and Anne Horton [Holton] *. Appreciate you being
    here; Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, the Lieutenant Governor of the
    State of Virginia; Attorney General Bob McDonnell of the State of
    Virginia is with us; and all local officials. I appreciate Jim Jones of
    the U.S. District Court and other distinguished jurists who are with us
    today. Thank you for coming.
        * White House correction.

    [The interruption in the audience continued.]

        The President. Seems like I brought a little action with me.

    [The interruption in the audience continued.]

        The President. Most of all, I'm glad you're here. And we welcome you
    and your families, and we're honored to be celebrating with you this
    joyous occasion.
        You know, long before anyone had ever heard of Crawford, Texas,
    Charlottesville, Virginia, was the home to the first western White
    House. The majesty of this home is a monument to the genius of Thomas
    Jefferson. Every hundreds of years--every year, thousands of visitors
    come here. And I think today it's fitting to thank the men and women of
    the Thomas Jefferson Foundation for preserving this historic treasure.
        You just can't help but marvel at Thomas Jefferson's many
    accomplishments. As a scholar, few were better read. He was known to
    have read five books at a time on a revolving book stand. Later in life,
    he founded a public university that has become one of the Nation's
    finest, the University of Virginia.
        As a statesman, Thomas Jefferson held all three top posts in the
    executive branch. He served as the first Secretary of State, the second
    Vice President, and the third President. Not bad for a man who hated
    public speaking. [Laughter] It seems Jefferson got away with only
    delivering two public speeches during his Presidency. I'm sure a lot of
    Americans wish that were the case today. [Laughter]
        In a life full of accomplishments, Thomas Jefferson was especially
    proud of the Declaration of Independence. Looking back 232 years later,
    it's easy to forget how revolutionary Jefferson's draft was.
        At the time, some dismissed it as empty rhetoric. They believed the
    British Empire would crush the 13 Colonies in the field of battle. And
    they believed a nation dedicated to liberty could never survive the
    world ruled by kings.
        Today, we know history had other plans. After many years of war, the
    United States won its independence. The principles that Thomas Jefferson
    enshrined in the Declaration became the guiding principles of the new
    nation. And in every generation, Americans have rededicated themselves
    to the belief that all men are created equal, with the God-given right
    to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
        Thomas Jefferson understood that these rights do not belong to
    Americans alone; they belong to all mankind. And he looked to the day
    when all people could secure them. On the 50th anniversary of America's
    independence, Thomas Jefferson passed away. But before leaving this
    world, he explained that the principles of the Declaration of
    Independence were universal. In one of the final letters of his life, he
    wrote, ``May it be to the world, what I believe it will be--to some
    parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all--the signal of
    arousing men to burst the chains and to assume the blessings and
    security of self-government.''
        We honor Jefferson's legacy by aiding the rise of liberty in lands
    that do not know the blessings of freedom. And on this Fourth of July,
    we pay tribute to the brave men and women who wear the uniform of the
    United States of America.
        We also honor Jefferson's legacy by welcoming newcomers to our land.
    And that is what we're here to celebrate today.
        Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired
    immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These
    immigrants have helped transform 13

    [[Page 962]]

    small Colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300
    [million] * people. They've made America a melting pot of cultures from
    all across the world. They've made diversity one of the great strengths
    of our democracy. And all of us here today are here to honor and pay
    tribute to that great notion of America.
        * White House correction.
        Those of you taking the oath of citizenship at this ceremony hail
    from 30 different nations. You represent many different ethnicities and
    races and religions. But you all have one thing in common, and that is a
    shared love of freedom. This love of liberty is what binds our Nation
    together, and this is the love that makes us all Americans.
        One man with special appreciation for liberty is Mya Soe from Burma.
    As a member of the Shan ethnic group, Mya faced discrimination and
    oppression at the hands of Burma's military junta. When he tried to
    reach local villagers--when he tried to teach local villagers how to
    read and write the Shan language, the regime interrogated him and
    harassed him. In 2000, he left a life of fear for a life of freedom. He
    now works as a painter in the Charlottesville community. Today, we
    welcome this brave immigrant as a citizen-to-be of the United States of
    America.
        I'm sure there are other stories like Mya's among you. But we must
    remember that the desire for freedom burns inside every man and woman
    and child. More than two centuries ago, this desire of freedom was--had
    inspired the subjects of a mighty empire to declare themselves free and
    independent citizens of a new nation. Today, that same desire for
    freedom has inspired 72 immigrants from around the world to become
    citizens of the greatest nation on Earth, the United States of America.
        I congratulate you. I welcome you. I wish you all a happy Fourth of
    July. Thanks for inviting me. May God bless you, and may God continue to
    bless the United States of America.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:07 a.m. at Monticello. In his remarks,
    he referred to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine of Virginia and his wife, Anne
    Holton.